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Allegiant · 06-24-2024, 04:55 PM

Weston Windsor: Draft Prospects
Mid-Season Rankings

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Introduction
The season is well under-way now, and we've had a chance to really get a feel for how the upcoming draft class is shaking out. Overall, the class appears to be a fairly deep one. Although there are a couple notable stand-outs, there are likely to be solid SHL players to be found right through the first three rounds of the draft. If you're a team with a lot of draft capital, you have to be happy with what you're seeing. A lot can change between now and the draft, and even more can change between the draft and the time any of these players are ready to make the jump.

There were years where the presence of an actively developing center of any kind would mean a steep rise in their draft stock, but this isn't one of those years. Weston Windsor joined the SMJHL late, which would be a detriment on its own -- but he's also arguably only 10th to 13th in the center rankings alone, without even considering the various wingers on offer, or teams which need defense or goaltending. For that reason, we have to be looking at Windsor as a third round pick at the highest.[/b]

Before we get into Windsor's play, it's worth talking about the elephant in the room: while the player agency representing Windsor has promoted quality players before, including Winston Windsor and Karsten Kadinger, its more recent names such as Jari Heikkinen, Will Windsor, and Warwick Windsor all failed to develop into anything of note. A notably exception was Tommy Thompson who, though he didn't become a star player, did play an important role as a dedicated defensive forward and penalty killer on a Challenge Cup winning Buffalo Stampede just a few seasons ago.

So, regardless of how good or bad Weston Windsor looks going into the draft, the question is and will always hang over his head: is he going to be a rare success, or will he falter like so many of his predecessors did? Certainly, that question will push him out of the first round at the bare minimum, even if the draft weren't as deep was it was. With that out of the way, it's worth discussing who Weston Windsor is now, and who he might be as a player at the SHL level.

+++ A Pure Playmaker
Weston Windsor is first and foremost a spectacular skater for a freshman in the SMJHL: he's among the fastest skaters in the league already, and he manages to parley that into points just by blitzing the defense while they're still regrouping. On the attack, he almost always looks to pass first. His linemates know they can rely on him to set up goals around the net, and he's also made a habit of playing behind the net, taking advantage of his superior offensive fundamentals to pick out open lanes before the defense can move to close them.

--- Lackluster Scorer
That playmaking focus comes with a 'but', and in this case, it's that Windsor lacks the killer instinct to actually finish plays himself. Though he can score occasionally, he isn't and probably will never be among the top goal-scorers in the league. This deficiency may prove to limit the heights his offensive game can really reach, as most of the top producers are more capable of playing on both sides of possession.

+++ Pickpocket
Although it hasn't shown up as much at the SMJHL level, Windsor has a reputation in previous tiers of hockey for having a very active stick to generate scoring chances off of the counter-attack. He's good at stripping players of the puck and causing the momentum on the ice to shift suddenly, and without warning. This can also lead to short-handed chances, but there'd better be someone coming down the ice with him, because he's squandered more than a few of those shots.

--- Defensively Lost
Being good at the occasional stretch poke-check doesn't mean much for Windsor's overall defensive game. He often misreads the play, he rarely blocks shots, and his overall spatial awareness in the defensive end is undeveloped for a center. If he can't take advantage of a player taking an ill-advised risk, then he's liable to be a liability on defense. That's something he'll almost certainly have to figure out.

--- Avoids Physicality
Although it might be clear given the kind of player he is, it's worth nothing that Windsor is largely devoid of a physical edge. He doesn't deliver many hits, muscle his way into the net, and while he is willing to do the dirty work in the corners to get the puck out, he can be pushed off the puck by more bull-headed players. He's also not going to be one to drop the gloves unless he's pushed to the absolute limit.

Consensus
Weston Windsor has the potential to be an excellent playmaker at the SHL level, so long as he continues to develop his game and can take his natural athleticism to the next level. His defensive failings limit his versatility and may place him into the dubious position of really needing to take that next step to be a 'playable' player: he's not good enough on a full-rink level to play a bottom six role for anything other than a rebuilding team, so unless he can notch a top six spot, he'll be tricky to use.

The biggest question around Windsor remains how dedicated he is to improvement, and whether his recent progression is something that can really be carried in any long-term sense. Some scouting departments suspect he'll be a fringe player, while others have him listed with that dubious title of being someone who'll probably be 'good in juniors.' In sum, we expect Windsor to be anywhere from a third or fourth round draft pick unless a team is particularly high on him.

Projection: Second-Line Center
Certainty: C-

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